Brooks Cleary, found guilty in the death of his fiancé Hailey Johnson, received an 11-year sentence Wednesday, far short of the prosecution’s 25-year request.

The Details: Hailey Johnson died from a gunshot wound to the head in December 2022. Initially, Brooks Cleary, her fiancé, told paramedics that she had suffered a seizure. However, investigators found that Cleary attempted to conceal the cause of death by covering the shotgun with clothing and sitting on it when first responders arrived.

Cleary later claimed to have been blackout drunk and unable to recall the events clearly. Despite these circumstances, the manner of her death was ruled undetermined by the medical examiner, and her family disputes the notion that she would have taken her own life

What’s Happening:

TOO MANY ADS? GO AD-FREE
Did You Know?: The ads you see on this site help pay for our website and our work. However, we know some of our readers would rather pay and not see ads. For those users we offer a paid newsletter that contains our articles with no ads.
What You Get: A daily email digest of our articles in full-text with no ads.

• Cleary was convicted on multiple charges, including interfering with government property, making false statements, and concealing a death.

• The judge expressed doubts about the strength of the concealment charge, leading to a reduced sentence.

Between the Lines: Judge Jason Marbutt noted the concealment in this case didn’t involve the more severe acts typically associated with such charges, influencing his decision.

• The sentence included only one year specifically for the concealment charge, sparking criticism from the victim’s family.